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10th Annual PCT Days: Food for Thought

I just returned from the 10th Annual PCT Days in Cascade Locks, Oregon, about 40 miles each of Portland where hundreds of locals and PCT thru-hikers gathered to sample the wares, play games and enjoy the weather (sunny compared with last year’s spritzing rain).

Many years ago, I gave up food produced commercially for wilderness travel (pouches of ingredients that require hot water and a few stirs). Mostly, they were tasteless and expensive. Like many ultralight backpackers, I make up my own combinations of my favorite foods.

At PCT Days I sampled several types of trail food –mostly new to market — and purchased a some for future trips. A few that caught my eye:

Backpacker’s Bistro – the bags are lightweight and feed two people for $12. I sampled the bean with bacon and found it pretty tasty so I purchased Spaghetti Bolognese for a future trip. What caught my eye were the ingredients: handmade pasta, grass-fed beef, bacon, red wine, garlic, diced tomatoes and a few more goodies. Here is something eye-catching from the website: “2008 winner of the French Culinary Institute’s Top Chef award, Melissa Lynn Lieser combined her passions for backpacking and food when she founded Backpacker’s Bistro in 2016 with a simple philosophy: we believe that the most satisfying and healthy meals begin with whole, real foods. We believe in finding quality products from sustainable sources, locally if possible.” To learn more: http://backpackersbistro.com

Vasque Sturdiwheat Pancake Mix – the package says it makes a half dozen small pancakes. They appear to have healthy ingredients. A six-ounce package of buckwheat pancakes costs just $2. They also offer almond pecan, banana and apple cinnamon. Although I’m not likely to carry a frying pan on a backpack, I might consider using the Sea-to-Summit collapsible cookware and take the pancake mix with me. To learn more: https://www.sturdiwheat.com/store/new-products.

Trail Butter – the label claims: “all natural energy nut butter” and notes it is “low sugar,” which will be happy news for those trying to avoid sugar-rich foods. Trail Butter, the love child of Jeff and Brad Boggess, two outdoor enthusiasts who have traveled the world biking and skiing, comes in handy 4.5 hand-size pouches and in jars. I bought two pouches for the PCT days discounted price of $5 each: Mountaineer Maple with real maple syrup and the Ozark Original chunky variety. Both were mouth-watering. To learn more: http://trailbutter.com/shop/

Huppybar – an energy bar created by river guide Lyndsay Hupp. she boasts her bars, which are very tasty (I had the espresso chocolate), are non-GMO and free of soy, dairy, gluten or refined sugars — good news for health conscience outdoors people. You can buy online and at some Whole Foods and other health-oriented retailers. Here is a list of where to find them: http://huppybar.com/buy-bars.html
Be Light. Be safe. Be one with the pack.